CO OTC Elk 2023 Questions

[Bluumoon]

It’s December. Plenty of time to come up with a plan that doesn’t include “Otc Colorado”.

Shhhh....

 

[SoloWilderness]

Think really really hard about your pack out logistics should you be successful, especially if going alone. Posts like this make seasoned elk hunters roll their eyes when they read about someone planning to "go deep" several miles into rugged terrain and then expecting to carry out elk quarters like it's a trip to Costco.

This. I am one of the Cam Haynes disciples from 2014 that years ago chose "go deep" as my strategy, and I am consistently successful with it. I have also been hunting the same general area for close to 20 years. I go deep because I enjoy the solitude, which is possible, but you need to be willing to dive into nasty country, off trail, AND have a dialed in meat packing strategy. This means having as many "natural refrigerators" as possible identified in your route of travel. Think always shaded deep canyons with fast running water. You need shade, good air movement and a cold, shady creek to cool meat. You may need to ferry meat to a place you can protect it and keep it cool, then leapfrog it down to the waiting, ice filled coolers. Be prepared to pack your entire elk out in 2-3 days MAX. This means 20+ mile days, with 100lb packs. You have to hit the truck, dump meat, refuel/ re-hydrate and get back up the mountain, you aren't going to be taking leisurely hikes, think death marches instead. If this is the style of hunting you want to pursue, I would say go for it, BUT make sure you are a strong backpacker, and really think through your logistics, this is equally important to hunting skill if you are hunting 6-8+ miles back. I hunt this way because I enjoy it, not because it is the best strategy. I have friends who consistently kill bulls 2 miles from the road, nothing wrong with either strategy, just pick your poison and commit.

 

[HighUintas]

I agree with solowilderness's post above. I get as far back into the wilderness as possible, because that is what I enjoy and that strategy does get me away from other hunters where I hunt.

I archery hunt an area much closer to my vehicle, because of the Aug/Sept heat and because it's a good spot with low hunter traffic.

I pack in about 9-10 miles for October rifle because it's one of my favorite places to be, despite the likelihood of the elk density being lower. I don't have to worry about heat as much, but do have creek bottom "coolers" identified for stashing meat if needed. This year, I spent 8 days in there and didn't see a whole lot. It was a really hard 8 days of hunting and I ate my tag..... But it was awesome. Packing out from that area solo is a death march despite the terrain being pretty easy. Make sure you're in superhuman physical and mental shape before attempting such a thing.

Make sure to post a trip report if you do it

 

[ClayA23]

I think your scouting will answer a lot of questions. I have unsuccessfully hunted elk now for 2 years. Both times I have went have been Colorado OTC. Year 1 I saw one spike elk. I hunted anywhere from 500 yds from a road up to 4 miles. Year 2 I saw 9 elk, 3 of them being bulls. I hunted anywhere from 500 yds to 2 miles from a rd. All the elk that I have personally seen have been within 1,000 yds from a rd.

Small sample size on my end but the point is you don’t have to go “deep”


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[Poser]

Nice first post. As you can see, you hit a hot button topic here on Rokslide with the “go deep” approach. How fun! Anyhow, your plan sounds solid. Everyone has to start from somewhere. A couple of comments:

The areas you outline should have elk in them. If not, be prepared to try multiple spots your first time out.

Summer scouting can be helpful, but isn’t entirely necessary. If you are close by, then go for it. There are areas I’ve scouted in mid summer that have been helpful in finding sign and water sources. One thing to keep in mind is elk have different areas they use depending on the season, so if you find elk in July, don’t get too fired up - they might not be there in September. I’ve made several out of state scouting trips that have been very helpful in the fall, and others that have been a waste of time - well, they showed me where not to go! I’ve also scouted and found areas that looked great, but then got there and found a lot of other trucks and people hunting. So, have a plan but be flexible.

The use of an e-bike can be helpful, but does not align with your go deep approach. (You need some sort of road/gravel/path for an e-bike; most places don’t have that “infrastructure” in place, and if they do, you will have a lot of company.). Most of the places I’ve hunted in CO you wouldn’t be able to take an e-bike more than 100 yards off the paved road - too steep/rugged/rocky. While there may be some sort of appeal to using an e-bike, it really becomes a limiter - you can only go where they function. So, if you are going on a scouting trip in the summer, take your e-bike with and let us know how it works out!

Welcome to Rokslide. Now that you have the obligatory “CO-OTC” first post out of the way, please know that no one is going to give your their honey hole, and yes, there is a ten post minimum to start using the classifieds. LOL.

I’ve been scouting 40+ days each summer the last few years. I’d say it’s more an entertaining form of backpacking, fitness and adventure then it is directly useful for elk hunting. Their extensive and casual summer range reduces to tiny pockets, both deep and close, come fall. I do enjoy it, but there’s not a lot of useful info to be gained for the fall once you know your way around.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I’ve been scouting 40+ days each summer the last few years. I’d say it’s more an entertaining form of backpacking, fitness and adventure then it is directly useful for elk hunting. Their extensive and casual summer range reduces to tiny pockets, both deep and close, come fall. I do enjoy it, but there’s not a lot of useful info to be gained for the fall once you know your way around.

Agreed. A guy on here was peacocking around a couple years ago about all the big bulls he’d see in Otc units in august. Of course none of those bulls are around during the season like they are during the summer, hanging out above timberline. I summer scout because it’s a good excuse to get out and hike around and start getting in shape. I learn more the first day of hunting than I do in 10 days of summer scouting.

 

[streetdoctor]

Go deep can work but a major issue is bumping into outfitters. More than once I've surprised outfitters and gotten "how did you get in here?". They can give some major attitude and act like they own the place - talking public land here. I use them to my advantage because the folks they bring in are often out of shape or can't walk far. I hunt the timber, north slopes, and escape routes in these circumstances.
Don't let these guys discourage you. It can be done, but you better be honest with yourself about your mental toughness and have a meat and emergency strategy.

More than likely they're giving you attitude because they see a lot of newer guys who might happen to get a bull down and realize they're 5-6 miles from the car and have no idea how to get it out before the meat goes bad.

 

[Slugz]

Get intel on the area before coming up with a plan.
Scout as much as you can.
Have a plan A - Z
Remain flexible.
Don't fall in love with one plan. They are where they are.
Be happy seeing elk like you said.
Scout as much as you can.

I forgot.

Fish while scouting also.

 

[TheHammer]

A lot of really great information in this post. Only one way to find out if you have what it takes. Get in there and figure it out. Do whatever preparation you feel you need to. But I will bet with 99.9% confidence, you will run into other hunters, hunters who camp where you would expect to find elk, hunters who call on every exhale and you don’t believe in calling at all, hunters who don’t know what wind or thermals are and how they affect their bow hiking, hunters who have direct opposite ethics and morals, hunters who weren’t raised with the same ideals as you… have several game plans and develop rules for yourself.

 

[pcrossett]

Going in deep is all fine, but how you going to get the meat out if you are one the 8% that are successful. Solo, in more then 2 miles is a challenge unless you are just hunting off a major trail. Then you will not need to worry about any meat!

I would definitely emphasize this point as much as possible. If you are going in deep and want to hunt solo you really need to understand your physical conditioning/limits. If you're 5 miles in with an elevation gain of 1,000 feet and you tag out that's 40 miles and 4,000 feet to pack everything out (assuming it takes you 4 trips). May not be something you think about until you get out there and are in that situation.

 

[streetdoctor]

A lot of really great information in this post. Only one way to find out if you have what it takes. Get in there and figure it out. Do whatever preparation you feel you need to. But I will bet with 99.9% confidence, you will run into other hunters, hunters who camp where you would expect to find elk, hunters who call on every exhale and you don’t believe in calling at all, hunters who don’t know what wind or thermals are and how they affect their bow hiking, hunters who have direct opposite ethics and morals, hunters who weren’t raised with the same ideals as you… have several game plans and develop rules for yourself.

He's not joking. Even in draw units. Ran into a group last year in a unit that took 5 points and they had no concept of the wind. Wasted an entire morning hunt because of that. Watched another guy walk a half a mile through the middle of a huge park bugling every 3 steps too. You just have to laugh...

 

[HornPorn]

I'd be real careful about taking anyone's advice unless you know their background. I know someone who thinks he knows everything about elk and how to kill bulls because he watched a few videos on youtube one summer. He has been elk hunting a total of two times, skunked both times, but can tell you every time he saw a bull how someone in the group did something wrong to cost them the bull. Or how they wasted too much time here or there because someone didn't know what they were doing. Its always someone else's fault why he wasn't successful. I'm guessing these forums are loaded with lots of folks like this.

Best thing is to just go hunt and learn it yourself. Lots of folks out there don't know what they are talking about

 

[TheHammer]

Taking ownership of one’s actions is a hard endeavor of todays society. We have been brainwashed and fed enough estrogen first to completely remove masculinity from society. Hell half these guys most likely have never been punched in the face or got whooped as a kid. An entire generation of entitled undisciplined individuals….. idk where I was going with this, but to respond to the last post. I would agree mostly with all that! The second I know everything is when I can stop doing it… don’t foresee these amazing wildlife we pursue to stop adapting, so I have a lot of learning to do from my point of view.

 

[ELK49]

I'm not sure where you are coming from but the elevation is real. Myself and 4 buddies went OTC in 2021. Left our home town at 800ft and parked at 10k about 23 hours later. The first day was rough but we had a great time. We planned the entire trip in the wilderness but ended up adapting because the number of people.

Don't fall in love with a plan and adapt. We killed a 4x4 about 4 miles off the road in a wilderness and another buddy missed a good 6 point about a mile from the main road just off a hiking trail. Go where the elk are.

 

[TexasCub]

Keep in mind that while someone above mentioned a 8% success rate in OTC, I’d easily cut that in half to a 4% success rate, so don’t set your expectations too high.

 

[doc holiday13]

....... then expecting to carry out elk quarters like it's a trip to Costco.

Clearly you've never been to Costco on a Saturday, Sunday or day before Thanksgiving..

 

[tdhanses]

So I have finally decided to commit to an OTC elk hunt in 2023. I’ve narrowed down the season to archery and the region to the south/southwest. I know people find success covering lots of ground on roads, but I would really love to go in deep since getting as far as I can from civilization is half the fun for me.

My current plan is to try my hardest to get as far from people as I can and try to locate places the elk would experience less pressure from other hunters. I’d be looking for places at 8k-12k ft of elevation with plenty of timber, scattered meadows, and some water nearby. I would try to scout 3-4 times throughout the summer. Is this a viable strategy? Am I missing something here? I’d love to end up with an elk to fill the freezer but ultimately I’d be happy having just seen elk while hunting. Also, is there any merit to using e-bikes to get to/ close to a secluded campsite?

Thank you for any responses.

Pretty sure you mean south/southeast as all the south/southwest units are draw units anymore for archery and most wilderness areas are draw in the south now as well.

You can easily use an ebike on atv trails, if you don’t have an atv, just go to where you want to hike off one of these trails using your ebike, pretty simple.

 

[Will_m]

You’re probably gonna have a bad time unless the novelty and naivety keep the reality of the situation from sinking in. Except for locals, the days of just showing up otc for Colorado elk are gone. Always exceptions to the rule, of course, but “it ain’t what it used to be”isn’t just some trite saying.

 

[CentennialState]

I'm not sure where you are coming from but the elevation is real. Myself and 4 buddies went OTC in 2021. Left our home town at 800ft and parked at 10k about 23 hours later. The first day was rough but we had a great time. We planned the entire trip in the wilderness but ended up adapting because the number of people.

Don't fall in love with a plan and adapt. We killed a 4x4 about 4 miles off the road in a wilderness and another buddy missed a good 6 point about a mile from the main road just off a hiking trail. Go where the elk are.

Glad you guys ended up being ok. HAPE is a serious concern at elevation and can be catastrophic.

 

[Kylerjay05]

If the odds are that stacked against me with this strategy I’d rather switch up the plans.

I went in 7 miles and 2400ft and had a team of 8 horses and 2 backpack hunters on my heels. My buddy shot a beautiful bull half mile from where he left his truck. If backpacking in it's a huge part of what you enjoy, get after it. If it's largely to attempt to improve your odds.... I'm not sure it's all that efficient. That's not to say you won't/ can't find elk a million miles in.... it's just to say you really don't likely have to. You're going to find other hunters either way in Colorado